WICHITA, Kan. — The Wizards (6-2) finished the non-conference weekend a perfect 2-0.
Sunday's victory against the Fort Riley Big Red One (12-8) did not come without some adversity on Armed Forces Day.
D'Quan Lynch of the Big Red One scored 22 of his game-high 40 points in the first half.
Lynch scored the game's first five points and hot shooting put Fort Riley up 12-4 just 3:30 into the contest.
That lead bulged to nine before Kaelon Gary and Parker Austin went to work.
Gary and Austin each hit triples as the Wizards pulled within five by the media timeout.
A Curtis Profit Junior bucket tied the game at 25 before the Big Red One got a free throw and bucket to close the quarter.
Another Austin triple tied the game at 28 before a Gary three put Wichita up for good.
Wichita closed the half on a 26-17 run to take a 10-point halftime lead.
Jai'Raye Velez scored 12 of his 20 total points in the third frame to pull Fort Riley within four before Jeremiah May hit a big three that put Wichita up 69-60 with 5:26 remaining in the third.
A Lynch basket with 1:25 to go pulled Fort Riley back within four, but an Anthony Cameron And-1 dunk gave Wichita the 80-73 lead.
Fort Riley tied the game thrice in the final frame (at 84-, 86-, and 93-all) but Gary went to work again in the final three minutes to secure the Wizard victory.
Gary's back-to-back buckets made it 97-93 with 3:30 to play.
A Gary dish to May put the Wizards up six before a Michael Barnes And-1.
Javaughn Harrison made things interesting by answering a Gary three with a triple of his own.
Hanging onto a 106-102 lead with 22 seconds remaining, the Wizards had to hit free throws down the stretch to hold off the Big Red One.
FINAL: Wizards 110 Big Red One 103
Gary finished with 25 points, Austin 21 and May 15, while Cameron and Barnes each dropped 14.
Wichita is on the road June 10 and June 17 before returning home to Friends University to face the Tri-State 66ers Sunday, June 18, at 2 p.m.
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